The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has come under fire from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for alleged electoral violations and manipulation during the February 25 presidential election.
At a press conference held in Abuja on Friday, the PDP demanded Yakubu’s immediate resignation for breaching the Electoral Act and manipulating the election results. Additionally, the PDP called on the Inspector General of Police and the Director General of the Directorate of State Services to investigate the INEC officials involved in the violations and manipulations and prosecute them for electoral offenses.
The PDP also urged the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate allegations that some top officials of INEC were financially compromised to manipulate the electoral process. The party criticized Yakubu for deliberately sabotaging the uploading and transmission of results directly from polling units and for ignoring objections and complaints during the collation of results, in violation of the Electoral Act. The PDP accused Yakubu of not only committing serious electoral offenses but also betraying the trust of Nigerians and the international community.
The party demanded Yakubu’s resignation as the first step towards restoring the confidence of Nigerians and political parties in the electoral commission. The PDP also urged Nigerians to remain calm but alert as the party continues to take steps to retrieve its mandate at the Presidential Election Tribunal. Finally, the PDP called on the international community to impose sanctions, including travel restrictions, on Yakubu and other top officials of INEC for compromising democracy in Nigeria.